6 of 19Each morning of the event, vehicles from 1972 and earlier poured into the stadium grounds.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

7 of 191964 International Harvester Scout.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

8 of 191932 Ford Deuce Roadster.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

9 of 19Cherry 1957 Chevy.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

10 of 19A 1963 Chevrolet Impala.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

11 of 19A Ford Super Deluxe Woody.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

12 of 19Brian Woods’ fire-breathing 1967 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

13 of 19A 1951 Mercury, the Low Lid Award winner.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

14 of 19Another 1951 Mercury in the “Winner’s Circle.”

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

15 of 19A 1937 Sedan Delivery, the Cool Commercial Award winner.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

16 of 19A 1950 Ford Coupe in the “Winner’s Circle.”

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

17 of 19A 1965 Corvette, one of 10 Builder’s Choice Award winners.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

18 of 19The 1965 Corvette’s lovely 402-cubic-inch engine.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

19 of 19Ford Mustang on the autocross course.

Photo by BRUCE SWEETMAN

The hot-rodder's mascot, Rat Fink, was everywhere—on T-shirts, shift levers and hoods—in place of more prosaic ornaments. But today, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth's bloodshot, bug-eyed antihero is more of a fashion accessory than the symbol of an iconoclastic lifestyle it once was. Hot-rodders have grown up, and the trappings of Kustom Kulture have become mainstream.

Riding a wave of mass acceptance, the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has been bringing the hot-rod scene to the general public for more than 30 years in the form of family-friendly weekend events. Attendance ranges from 30,000 to 100,000 for each of 20 events held across the country each year.

If the hot-rod culture has mellowed, the creativity and craftsmanship remain cutting edge, judging by the variety and quality of the 1,700 cars on display at the Nashville Nationals held at the Tennessee Titans' football stadium, LP Field. The sprawling grounds surrounding the stadium provided plenty of asphalt and shaded grassy areas for the cars, a swap meet with more than 200 vendors and a short autocross course.

Each morning 1972 and earlier muscle cars, trick trucks, hot rods, customs and classics cars entered the riverfront stadium grounds, announcing their arrival with low rumbles, bellowing exhausts and whining superchargers. There were no gratuitous burnouts, and auto aficionados accustomed to concours-type events didn't have to fear that their Gucci loafers would get stained with tobacco juice. Overall, more than 45,000 people attended the three-day event, all courteous and ready to talk cars.

While there were some trailer queens, the majority of the vehicles on display were driven from points far and near. Jere Taylor drove his 1947 Chevy Panel Truck some 2,412 miles from San Jose, Calif., and received the Long Distance Award.